Making art is a great way to bond with your son or daughter and create fun memories together. Working together to paint a picture, draw a portrait, or create a bowl out of clay isn’t only an art project; it’s a great way to foster education and growth for both of you. In this article, we’ll discuss a few easy projects you and your kiddo can complete together. At Creative Arts Learning Center, we’re proud to offer innovative art education for children aged two to twelve. Enroll your child now!
Shaving Cream Paint
Shaving cream paint is a fun way to experience texture and enjoy a fun way to finger paint. Squirt shaving cream into several different bowls and add food coloring. This is a great time to discuss the difference between pastel and saturated colors and even practice mixing different shades together, such as red and blue to create purple or how yellow and red make orange. You can do this project outside to minimize clean up, or if you need to stay inside due to weather, use a disposable plastic tablecloth as a canvas. This is an excellent project for younger children and engages their sensory skills as well as fine motor function. Once the project is complete, you can easily throw the tablecloth away for quick cleanup.
Macaroni Art
A tried and true activity, macaroni art is a wonderful way to use up a rainy afternoon or sick day. Gather different shapes of pasta and place them in individual containers. Discuss with your son or daughter the different shapes and textures, and talk about planning out a picture before getting started. Your kiddo may want to create a landscape scene, a favorite character from a beloved book, or even a self portrait. Help your son or daughter glue the shapes onto construction paper, canvas, or cardboard, and once it’s dry, your child can paint, draw, or color the pasta. The smaller shapes develop motor function and planning out a picture before will foster cognitive development.
Life-Size Self Portrait
A wonderful exercise in learning different perspectives, creative a life-size self portrait is a fun and innovative way to practice drawing and painting. Purchase a large roll of art paper and tear off a sheet long enough for your son or daughter to lie down on. Trace his or her body and then give him or her plenty of markers, crayons, colored pencils, paints, and other art mediums for the portrait. He or she will have to spend some time looking at himself or herself in a mirror and noticing different details. This is a great opportunity to talk about different shapes and proportions of the human body. Especially if your child is younger and hasn’t had a moment of self-discovery yet, he or she will have a moment to positively identify the aspects of his or her body that make him or her unique. Once the self portrait is complete, hang it on his or her bedroom door to display it proudly.
Bottle of Treasure
This is a perfect project for younger children with hours of entertainment afterwards. Find an empty plastic bottle, such as a water or sports drink bottle, and wash it thoroughly. Collect several small toys and other items such as buttons, old costume jewelry, beads, etc. Have your son or daughter pick out a glitter color that he or she would prefer, and also gather warm water and light corn syrup. Add the small toys and other items one at a time to the bottle together, talking about the colors and shapes. Once all of the items have been added, add the glitter, warm water, and light corn syrup. Place a little glue underneath the cap and screw it on tightly to ensure the bottle is sealed. Once the glue is dry, your child will have a fun and entertaining toy to enjoy.
At Creative Arts Learning Center, we’re passionate about all of our students engaging with and enjoying art. Offering exciting art classes for toddlers to pre-teens, our art teachers are motivated and talented. If you’re in the DC area and interested in enrolling your son or daughter in art classes, call us now!
